Willona
A feminine given name of uncertain origin and meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 75 living Americans carry the first name Willona. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Willona today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Willona births was 1975 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Willona. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Willona. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
75
~ 1 in 4,570,058 Americans
Peak year
1975
16 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
1979 SSA rank
#5,741
Tracked since 1974
Popularity
Willona: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Willona by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Willona during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0 | 82 | 82 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Willona
The name Willona is believed to have originated from the Old English language, tracing its roots back to the 5th century CE. It is derived from the combination of two words: "wil" meaning "desire" or "will," and "lona," which is a variant of the name "Leona." Together, the name Willona could be interpreted as "one with a strong will" or "one with a desire."
During the Anglo-Saxon period in Britain, the name Willona was primarily used as a feminine name. It gained popularity among the noble families and the ruling class, as it embodied qualities of strength and determination that were valued in women of those times.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Willona can be found in the "Ecclesiastical History of the English People," written by the Venerable Bede in the 8th century. In this historical text, Bede refers to a nun named Willona who lived in a monastery in Northumbria.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Willona remained relatively uncommon, but it was still used sporadically among the aristocracy and religious orders. One notable figure bearing this name was Willona of Saxony (1098-1165), a noblewoman and abbess who played a significant role in the reform of monastic life in Germany.
During the Renaissance period, the name Willona experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly among the upper classes in England and France. One famous bearer of this name was Willona Cavendish (1556-1628), an English noblewoman and patron of the arts, known for her patronage of writers and poets.
In the 18th century, the name Willona gained some recognition in the literary world. Willona Austen (1775-1817), the sister of the renowned novelist Jane Austen, was a talented writer herself, although her works were overshadowed by her sister's fame.
Another notable figure with the name Willona was Willona Nightingale (1820-1910), the niece of the pioneering nurse Florence Nightingale. Willona followed in her aunt's footsteps and made significant contributions to the nursing profession in England during the latter half of the 19th century.
While the name Willona has not been as widely used in recent times, it continues to carry a sense of historical significance and a connection to its Old English roots, symbolizing strength, determination, and a strong-willed spirit.
People
Willona + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Willona as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with W
Other first names starting with W with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Willona: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Willona?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 75 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Willona going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,570,058 US residents.
Is Willona a common name?
We classify Willona as "Very Rare". It ranks above 60.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 82 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Willona most popular?
The single biggest year for Willona was 1975, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Willona is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Willona in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Willona a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Willona in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Willona still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Willona in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Willona can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Willona?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.